Mouth harmonica



(No Model.)

M vEIOIiINlElR MOUTH HARMONICA.

Patented July 18, 1893.

.Zn/venar maw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHIAS HOIINER, OF TROSSINGEN, GERMANY.

MOUTH-HARMONICA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,837, dated July 18, 1893.

Application led August 27, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHIAS HOHNER, a subject of the King of Wrtemberg, residing at Trossingen, Vrtemberg, Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Improvement in l\louth-I*Iarmonicas, of which the followingr is a specification.

My invention relates to a single covering sheet for mouth-harmonieas, which is stamped out from a piece of nickel-plated or iinned sheet-metal or from sheet aluminum.

' The object of the invent-ion is to provide the smoothest possible playing surface for harmonicas, and to eliminate all danger of injuries to the mouth due to mechanical 0r chemical causes.

This object is attained by providing the harmonica with a shell or cover of nickelplated sheet-metal or sheet aluminum,which covers the mouth-piece side, as well as the two sides to which the reeds or tongues are attached, the said cover being stamped out in one piece, suitably bent into the desired form and laterally attached to the base-plate or bodyof the harmonica.

In the drawings which represent the preferable form of carrying out my invention-- Figure l represents a transverse section of a harmonica with my cover in place; Fig. 2 a view of the cover before being bent into shape and applied to the harmonica, and Fig. 3 an end view of the harmonica.

The form of the cover B, as it appears after being stamped out, is clearly shown in Fig. 2. At its front part this cover is provided with the blow-holes, l), which are punched out of the blank so as to accurately register with the reed-cells or air-passages in the body of the harmonica. The rear edges of the cover are provided With small notches, so that the same Will form vents or sound openings when the cover, B, has been attached to the body, A.

In Fig. 2 the cover B is represented in dotand-dash line as developed into a plane and as it appears after being punched or stamped Serial No. 444,332. (No model.)

out. The dash-lines represent the lines along which this cover is bent when mounted on the harmonica. The tongues, b b', the., rest against the reed-plates, @,While the parts or flaps, b2 b2, are caused to overlap and are together attached laterally to the body of the harmonica, whereby the cover is secured to the harmonica. The playing surface or mouthpiece of the harmonica, t'. e., the parts thereof with which the mouth-piece comes in Contact, is preferably smooth as a result of this construction and arrangement of cover B, and inasmuch as the said cover is nickel-'plated or made from sheet-aluminum, the instrument may be used continually without injury to the mouth, such as frequently results from covers made from celluloid and the like.

The instrument is convenient of form and easily manipulated, and of tasteful and elegant appearance.

I claiml. In a moutl1harmonica,a cover consisting of a single piece stamped out from sheet-metal, and provided with central blow-holes, as l), and notches at its outer edges to form vents when the cover is bent and put in place on the harmonica, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mouth-harmonica, a cover consisting of a single piece with central blow-holes, as b, and side liaps, as b2, b2, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mouth-harmonica, the combination, with a body having reed-cells, of a cover consisting of a single piece of sheet material provided with blow-holes registering with the reed-cells and having side flaps secured to the ends of the body, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTII. IIOI-INER.

Witnesses:

AUG-UST B. DRANTZ, CARL DUssMANN, JE. 

